Dennis Kalow
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BIO
I’ve been involved in the arts both as an educator and participant for over fifty years. My teaching career has been in public and private schools to include Cannon Falls High School, MN, The American School in Japan, Tokyo, and Colegio International de Caracas, Venezuela. For over 20 years of this time my personal focus was on clay and pottery. This work ended up in faculty and invitational exhibits as well as many regional art fairs. After 32 years of teaching, my interests moved to architecture, especially historic and period buildings. Over the next twelve years I found no shortage of interesting commercial and residential projects. They required research, design, management, and hands on building, all of which kept me interested and involved. My artwork during these years, however, was limited to piles of sketches which tended more and more to favor] sculpture. With no time to actually sculpt, I decided to leave architecture behind and re-surface as a full time artist in late 2017. How lucky I was to have moved to Minneapolis with its gallery opportunities, thriving art community, and more focus on the arts than one can imagine. For now, sculpture seems to be the perfect fit. I love the 3-D design challenges and the materials are endless. Every day is an adventure.
Artist Statement
With each piece I challenge myself to create something that is a message in itself, it’s own story, independent of literal or historic reference. While my subject matter generally evolves from something I’ve experienced, it is, first and foremost, form, line, color, and texture, juxtaposed in ways I find interesting. I seek results that intrigue, fascinate, or exemplify beauty in ways that are relative to my interests. If my sculpture demands a second look and some contemplation, I’m happy and feel as though I’m moving in the right direction.
Little About Dennis
What inspires your work?
Buildings, Plants, People, Bugs, Fish, Books and Movies. Everything I encounter every day. The more you make art the more possessive it becomes of your thinking. For me, however, those initial experiences move quite some distance before they become a sculpture.
What is something unexpected about you that often surprises people?
Perhaps that my life as a full time artist is relatively recent. I spent 30+ years as an educator and another 12 in architectural restoration before diving full time into a sculpture career.
What do you consider your most significant achievement as an artist?
I suppose that I’ve been able to garner some attention to my work. I’ve been very fortunate to find galleries willing to give me space and a fair number of sales and commissions to keep me going.
How has your work evolved over time?
I decided early on that I wasn’t going to be defined by a particular style, medium, or series of work. This has allowed me freedom to jump from one medium, style, size, or technique as I feel the need. Useful discoveries multiply and adapt to other subjects and experience gives one the confidence to tackle more complex challenges.
Is there a particular medium or subject you’re drawn to and why?
After working with clay as a potter for many years I’ve really enjoyed the freedom sculpture gives to use an endless variety of materials. I like the feel and versatility of wood and use it a lot. Epoxy clay has served me well on recent projects, but in general the material I use is dictated by the size and design of the piece I’m building.
What’s the most challenging part of being an artist?
The challenge I like the most is figuring out how I’m going to take a simple sketch or idea and turn it into a tangible object - a finished sculpture. How will it support itself, and how will it’s shape, color, and texture evolve into an exciting final product. These are fun challenges and unique to each piece I build.
Do you have a favorite piece you’ve created? Why does it stand out?
It’s usually the piece I’ve most recently finished. I’ve played with the subtleties of its form and surface until it does what I want it to do and it’s now a fresh new thing that I’ve brought into the world. That wears off with time but by then you’re finishing another piece.
Who are your artistic influences or mentors?
Well, I have a degree in Art History so I have seen and studied hundreds of artists in my life, all of which have probably nudged my work in one way or another. More specifically I’ve been influenced by more recent artists who seem to understand and concentrate on the subtleties of simple form. Brancusi, Moore, Arp, Hepworth, and Chillida are among them.
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
Nerstrand, Minnesota. Tiny little town south of Minneapolis.
What advice would you give to emerging artists?
There’s a lot to talk about here but in general to take pride in what you produce. We are creating visual products so build them with all the care and quality that your ideas deserve. First impressions are important.
